


It Sounds Like You're Here (even if you're not)

by baka_tsumibito



Category: Free!
Genre: Christmas fic, Implied Line sex, Long Distance Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:18:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5525102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baka_tsumibito/pseuds/baka_tsumibito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to be in a long-distance relationship. It's even harder to spend holidays away from your lover.</p><p>Haru knows this more than anyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Sounds Like You're Here (even if you're not)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenjen92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenjen92/gifts).



**December 20**

 

Haru drops his bag down by the table, and powers up his laptop while making himself comfortable on the floor. Rin had insisted on a call every two days _minimum_ , so it would probably be okay to assume that Rin wouldn’t mind Haru calling him again today. He should have written him a message on the way home, maybe in the train, but Haru’s phone had been sitting dead at the bottom of his swim bag.

 

Christmas was already very present in Tokyo; Haru was already used to the gigantic tree decorated near the station, and the night Tokyo lights were made even more overwhelming with the presence of holiday lights on top of it all.

 

The short table that normally served as a dining table was currently covered with clutter; by normal standards, it wouldn’t be much, but Haru was used to keeping the table totally empty. Apparently, this was a habit of Rin’s as well, something that triggered a feeling of closeness, even miles away.

 

Rin. He’d been in Australia for many months, and Haru had only seen him once after graduation. Thankfully, there was a meet coming up early in the new year to fix that issue, but Haru’s patience was already wearing thin, nearing its limit. Rin had been way too far for way too long.

 

 

3 rings, 4 times, 5 notes, repeat; this was the pattern of the dial tone that would connect him to Rin. Haru sits waiting in front of the screen for half a minute before Rin’s face pops up. He seems surprised, Haru notes, but still smiles.

 

“Oi Haru,” Rin grins. “What’s this? You never call me two days in a row!”

 

Haru grunts and turns his head off to the side. So what? There was nothing wrong with being unpredictable every now and then.

 

He hears Rin’s laugh, and slowly allows himself to be cajoled into facing the camera and participating in the conversation.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

**December 22**

 

Rin doesn’t bat an eye this time when Haru calls him again. This makes it the fourth day in a row, an unprecedented feat, but Rin doesn’t ask what’s wrong, or even point out the unusualness. Haru doesn’t know how to feel when he sees that Rin was obviously prepared for him to call (from his change of clothes compared to yesterday to the ideal positioning of his webcam right away, even the ease with which Rin shifts from topic to topic, prepared for once).

 

“My last practice is tomorrow,” Rin tells him while stretching out his arms behind his back. He cracks his neck and groans, the sounds coming out staticky through his laptop’s speakers. Haru frowns, turning up the volume even if it won’t make the sounds from Rin’s side any higher quality.

 

Oblivious to Haru’s inner frustration, Rin continues: “Then I’m off until the second week of the new year. What about you, Haru?” Rin peers into the camera, and Haru finds it funny how part of his face ends up obscured.

 

“Your face is too close, Rin.” Haru tells him this while getting up, Rin’s spluttering carrying all the way over to the next room where he’d gone to pick up his schedule.

 

“23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31…” Haru reads off the sheets, flipping through the pages. He frowns. That’s entirely too long to stay away from the pool, winter vacation or not. He’s wondering if he can still find away to swim when Rin starts laughing at the glare he’s sending towards his upcoming schedule.

“Oi, Haru,” Rin taunts. “You’d better not be planning to break in to the pool. Don’t go overworking yourself now.” Rin’s tone changes to one of concern towards the end of his sentence, making Haru look back at the screen.

 

“I’m fine. Stop worrying.” Haru hates being worried over, even if he can appreciate the sentiment from Rin deep down inside. Rin seems to want to pursue the subject, but relents with: “Whatever. Just take a break for a few days, got it? It’s not going to kill you to be away from the pool for that long, sheesh.” Before Haru can analyze Rin’s expression any further, the screen goes dark for a few seconds.

 

There isn’t anymore noise coming out of the speakers either, and Haru can feel his heart rate rising when Rin’s face is back on the screen, totally normal as if nothing had happened.

 

Haru knows that there’s no need to panic. He knows, but he can’t help himself from wanting Rin, wanting to be with him in this moment and nothing more. Haru takes a deep breath through his nose, exhaling noiselessly.

 

“So you’re training on Christmas Eve, but not on Christmas huh.” Rin leans back on an elbow, contemplative. “And not the 23rd either, Emperor’s birthday I guess.” Rin looks up at the ceiling for a moment. _Oh,_ Haru thinks, _Christmas._

 

“It’s so strange here,” Rin snorts, “having Christmas during summer. Not that I’ve never spent a Christmas without snow but still…” He’s looking at Haru now, who stares blankly back.

 

“Yeah,” Haru grunts, seemingly uninterested. It’s not that Rin doesn’t have his full attention, but he sees no point in talking about it. Rin seems to sense his disinterest, and quickly moves on to some impromptu race from practice.

 

(It only reminds him that they can't spend it together, but he doesn't want to face that reality right now.)

 

He lets Rin yammer on about swimming and Australia for a few hours before they’re both too tired to keep their eyes open anymore. Rin seems ready to wish him goodnight and hit the sack before Haru speaks up, not making eye contact.

 

“We’ll call tomorrow too, at night….” Haru trails off, his statement sounding more like a question than anything. Rin’s eyebrows knit together, and he hesitates.

 

There’s a pause before Rin sighs, expression smoothing out before answering.

 

“Yeah.” He sends Haru a small smile, but his eyes are warm and tender. “And the day after that too.” Rin’s smile expands.

 

Pleasantly surprised, Haru feels his heart start to settle for the first time today.

 

“Okay,” is all he replies.

 

“See you then,” Rin nods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In spite of their promise, Haru struggles to fall asleep, tossing and turning through the sheets.

 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

**December 24**

 

Haru pulls himself out of the pool reluctantly after his final lap, not willing to part from the water’s embrace so soon – but practice is over early and the pool is closing now. Around him, some of his teammates are stretching, others milling around their coach. Spirits are high today, all around.

 

Haru doesn’t quite feel it, even if he gets it.

 

As he’s toweling off his hair, he overhears a discussion between some of the older members heading into the locker room. “…where are you taking her?” “…” “…that place is great for _dates_ …” “….just don’t forget the _Christmas_ cake…”

 

Oh.

 

He’s hardly listening as the coach reminds the team of their erratic schedule during the holidays. All he can hear are those words, echoing through his mind.

 

_It’s normal for couples to go on dates. Especially now, on Christmas Eve. It’s normal. Forget about it._

 

But he can’t.

 

It hurts to be reminded of what he can’t have, Haru thinks as he puts on his jacket. Yes, he’ll get to talk to Rin and even see him in a few hours, but that’s it. They can’t walk through Tokyo together like any of his teammates, he can’t show Rin that big, decorated tree by the station, nor the cake sale for couples that Rin would love to see even if he hates sweets.

 

 _This is what it means to be in a long-distance relationship,_ Haru reflects on the train.

 

 _I shouldn’t be bothered by it,_ Haru decides as he climbs the steps to his apartment.

 

Easier said than done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He calls Rin, but with the video turned off.

 

“Hey Haru,” Rin greets him, initially smiling but his expression quickly turns to puzzlement. “Why isn’t the video on?” Rin frowns, and Haru secretly delights in the thought that Rin wants to see him, even after 5 days in a row of video chats.

 

“In a minute,” he replies, and suffers through Rin’s grumbling until he turns on the camera.

 

He’s not sure what he’s expecting, but watching Rin raise an eyebrow causes disappointment to well up in his stomach. He feels self-conscious, seconds away from dashing away to change, or better yet, just ending the conversation by shutting the lid of his computer.

 

“Any reason you’re dressed so nicely?” Rin sounds confused. Haru refuses to answer, and just waits for Rin’s eyes to light up in understanding.

 

“…Ah!”

 

Watching Rin’s fluster upon realizing why Haru’s dressed up today is almost worth it. Almost.

“Just…hang on! I’ll, I’ll— ” Flustered Rin is admittedly cute, but a flailing Rin just disturbs the connection, screen falling and microphone crackling loudly.

 

“Rin,” Haru says over the chaos. “It’s fine. Just sit down.” Rin complies, face red and not making eye contact. While he’s happy that he realized, Haru doesn’t want Rin to shut down, mentally beating himself up for not doing the right thing and messing up. Haru takes a deep breath, prepared to talk nonsense just to distract Rin, but surprisingly Rin seems to have settled down, seated calmly in front of the camera once more.

 

“Today’s important, huh,” Rin says knowingly. Haru hmphs, head turning to the side, but not before catching the glint in Rin’s eye.

 

 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

**December 25**

Haru wakes up on the tatami, lying in front of the dinner table, with no idea of what’s going on, fancy clothes strewn all over the floor.

 

So he’s surprised to see Rin sleeping on the screen when he sits up. His face is smushed into the pillow awkwardly, but it’s always cute to see Rin like this. He’s also shirtless, and maybe that’s a bit more hot than cute. Haru wants to see more, but the camera only captures so much.

 

It comes back to him in a rush, the events of last night; he’d prepared himself like it was a date, Rin had freaked out before calming down and acting…totally normal.

 

And then, when they’d been on the verge of falling asleep, he’d….oh, he’d….

 

_“Haru, close your eyes.”_

_Unwillingly, he did, and after some time of Rin not talking, he gravitated to the floor. He was so tired, so so tired…_

_Haru had almost drifted off when Rin spoke up again, but Rin’s voice snapped him from slumber._

_“Haru, Haru…” Rin said lowly. His voice had deepened, and it sounded almost…sensual. Just what was Rin up to…?_

_“It’s so lonely without you here, Haru. It’s so painful, especially at night when I’m all alone…” And although he was talking about feeling lonely, Rin’s voice didn’t sound sad at all. Haru swallowed, suddenly feeling very hot. Rin didn’t sound like he missed him, he sounded like he was right here, right next to Haru, teasing him…_

 

Haru jerked himself out of the recollection, worried about what might happen should he continue down the path of the memory. There’d been a lot of “ _Haru_ ”s and “ _Rin_ ”s and sounds with no sense, and everything was sticky and uncomfortable, but…

 

 

 

 

For a few minutes, he’d felt like Rin was right beside him.

 

 

 

 

(So the audio quality could be good sometimes.)

 

 

 

Haru smiled fondly at the screen, towards the sleeping boy on the other side who’d known what he’d wanted the most.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Merry Christmas, Rin.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> It's not explicitly mentioned, but Haru and Rin are using LINE.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed~  
> Happy holidays!


End file.
